In poll, Libertarian candidate a non-factor; Crist takes solid lead

Alexander Snitker, the unknown Libertarian candidate in the
crowded Florida U.S. Senate race, breathlessly released an internal poll
Thursday showing him at 2.5 percent. His numbers are hardly worth
noting -- he's likely in the margin of error. (Not to mention, the
polling company, Telsel in St. Augustine, run by Ira Bellas, is
an unknown quantity and didn't release the margin of error, as is
typical practice.)

Another curious
note, when voters know Snitker, he appears to take the largest chunk
from Meek, though the margin of error in this question is likely too
high to draw conclusions.

The Snitker release:

Snitker Polling at 2.5% Among Likely
Voters, 12% Among Voters Who Know His Name

The first poll
to include the Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate in Florida shows Crist
still leading the pack, followed by Rubio and Meek. However, the big
surprise is that Snitker is polling at 12% among likely voters who are
familiar with him.

In a poll released today, 2.5% of
registered Florida voters said they would vote for Libertarian U.S.
Senate candidate Alexander Snitker if the election were held today.
Even more surprising is that the number jumped to 12% of likely voters
who said they were familiar with Snitker. This is the first scientific
poll to include Snitker.

The poll, commissioned by
the Snitker campaign and conducted by Telsel, Inc. of St. Augustine,
surveyed 505 registered voters selected at random from the 2010 Florida
Division of Elections database. Of the 505 respondents, 447 said they
are likely to vote in the November 2010 election.

The
party affiliation breakdown among respondents was 43% Democrat, 43%
Republican, and 14% third party or NPA.

The question asked
was, "If the election were held today, which Senate candidate would you
vote for?" The survey listed the candidates in the order in which they
will appear on the ballot. The results were rounded to nearest half
percentage point.

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Crist's solid service to our state deserves careful consideration by voters. Dealing with thorny issues and working to get solutions are the leadership skills desperately needed in the Congress. He can discuss in reasonable tones and stay fair and objective, qualities essential in the way we govern ourselves.